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5/12/2010 4:36PM

News Hub: For Frequent Fliers, Huge Disparities

Some frequent-flier programs are far more generous in granting awards than others, and the gap right now is large. WSJ's Scott McCartney tells us which airlines make it easier -- and which make it harder -- to use miles, and why.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... hear it ... discussed what's happening ... in frequent flier programs not to ... tell us about disinflation and how we can beat inflation ... my mind ... well suited to lead a devaluation of the required while ... the ... last year there were fewer ... were redemptions hundred deaths are from people who actually use their miles ... use a survey out the Jews and some staggering differences between different airlines some airlines where ... they were worth ... hundreds of queries when cheaper seats under ... a very standard ... measures ... Southwest Airlines ninety nine percent and offered a seat ... US Airways ten percent of that ... he ... contends that ... down ten percent of the queries until it was only about thirteen percent ... just since huge differences in ventricle flyer miles to frustrate you say can see ... that people are having to basically pushed their wheel barrels full of miles and taken to the bank to get a flight to me ... can you discuss about coming miles required to get the flight that the airline's supposedly promised ... well that's it that's a big part of what's going on ... both US Airways and Delta Air added a third spirits and her ... smile and retention levels ... the basic level the level when ... installed on ... it in domestic ticket for twenty five thousand miles ... on what they appear to be doing a lot of evidence with the unions that are ... making the ... availability of those levels very scarce ... and nine forcing people to buy up into forty thousand miles for domestic ticket fifty thousand dollars ... so there's your inflation ... write that the two judges Don't and ... is now live in and the Continental United By ... if all ... the time to discuss the cost of a commercial use ... that's a win but if the good ones Scott tells about continental United merger but that means for Bregar flyer miles ... well it is interested in the U S Airways America West merged with the kid who was a step backwards for for fliers on the big seated for long ... instead you're in a recent sort of the same thing with the ... Delta Northwest one basic mathematical problems ... more people ... are chasing ... the Brits a number of seats the worst program in you and you make ... of those awards in the Oval the more people the airlines as they marched capacity that's what they wanted to be one of its ticket prices are higher ... in so it gets harder and harder to get those up for ... it ... the tickets that people want someone to get into the devaluation does say see you then you know I'm ... not afraid of clowns are much better proxy for the show goes on in America ... this is a giant Ponzi scheme had a giant tax scam one that I asked the people in the pain is basically the U S government because it's it's it's it's it's a whole common way for people to get something